What's on at Air Force Museum of New Zealand
Latest from the museum
Latest Exhibition
Tall Tails
Our Tall Tails exhibition features the mounted tails of the C-130 Hercules and P-3 Orion, this new exhibition brings visitors closer to two extraordinary aircraft and the stories they carry. It also highlights the importance of finding a permanent home for them, as the Museum continues to fundraise through the Home for Heroes project.
Tall Tails is on display in our Thérèse Angelo Wing.
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Exhibition
The Mighty Hercules
The Mighty Hercules exhibition is on in the Cochrane Gallery upstairs in our atrium. Come and visit and learn all about this extraordinary aircraft.
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Support Us
Home for Heroes
Join us in building a forever home for New Zealand’s C-130 Hercules and P-3 Orion – icons of service.
For more than half a century, these legendary aircraft carried our nation’s courage across the world – in peace, crisis, and discovery. Now, they need a home worthy of their legacy, where their stories of service, innovation and humanity will continue to inspire.
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Birthday Parties
Mission: Best birthday ever
Zip up a flight suit, grab your dog tags, and dive into a fully hosted birthday “mission”. From air & sea adventures for preschoolers to rescue and cadet challenges for older children. Our Programmes team runs the activities, the children get awesome photo moments (and party bags), and you can add catering through our café.
Book a birthday party
Our Aircraft
Explore AircraftMore to explore
HEY JIM, WATCHA DOING?: Aircraft Technician Jim Ritchie is not keen on being asked silly questions when he is busy. His least favourite is 'watcha doing?'
So please enjoy as he reluctantly describes his latest project, new axle stands for the main gear on our Lockheed P-3K2 Orion NZ4203.
He's designed a new set of 'Ritchie 5000s' to take 80% of the weight off the tyres, with a special jacking slot he's built in so he can easily rotate the wheels and tyres intermittently.
Jim is a former RNZAF Flight Sergeant. He served four years on No. 5 Squadron looking after Orions, and another five years looking after their engines and propellors in the engine bay at Whenuapai.
While Jim is reluctant to pick a favourite aircraft, he says the Orion is right up there with the Hawker Siddeley Andover.
NZ4203 is in long term conservation storage until we can build it a new home. So Jim's work is essential to keep it in good condition.
And Jim says no, he will not be making an Ritchie 5000s for other O#heyjimwatchadoinget#lokcheedp3orionh#p3orionc#lockheed#lokcheedp3orion #p3orion #lockheed ... See MoreSee Less
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FREE HOLIDAY FUN WITH US! The school holidays are offically and we've got a ton of fun for the holidays with hunts, games and plenty of ways to keep the kids entertained in a warm and FREE entry destination for children.
We've got our brand new Tall Tails Exhibition running, featuring the giant fin and rudder sections off our national heroes - the C-130 Hercules and P-3 Orion.
They can fly a C-130H Hercules through the Drop Zone, try an Aermacchi cockpit for size, pilot our Balloon Busters aircraft, or discover what life was like in a prisoner of war camp in our Captured exhibit.
For just $5 you can go behind-the-scenes to our conservation centre and see the hidden gems in our reserve collection or fly a Mosquito Mission simulator on your choice of dangerous raid.
And for parents or grandparents wanting a breather, our Contact Café team is there to make you a coffee, snack or lunch!
If you’re feeling the petrol pinch, make it a full adventure by taking the bus. Hop on the Hornby bus at the central bus interchange. For full journey planning details visit go.metroinfo.co.nz/, The Air Force Museum is conveniently set up as a destination.
The Air Force Museum is free for New Zealanders and people living in New Zealand. There is a $15 charge for international visitors aged over 18 years.
#freethingstodoinchristchurch ... See MoreSee Less
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Dean Thomson
MISSION TO SPACE ACCOMPLISHED: This week we've been hosting a group of 17 students and teachers from St Mary's Anglican Girls' School in Perth, way over on the other side of the world in the wild west of Australia.
The students have done astronaut training, rocketry, aerodynamics, studied the Moon and Mars, built a Mars Robot, flown in an aircraft with the Canterbury Aero Club and learned all about a lot of history with us here at the Air Force Museum of New Zealand.
We regularly host students from all around the world on Missions to Space with our partners from the Aotearoa Aerospace Academy. It is always great to see the astronauts of tomorrow coming through.
Safe travels #aotearoaaerospaceacademye#stmarysanglicanschoolsanglicanschool ... See MoreSee Less
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How cool is that?! What a great experience for the students
Awesome